Beforehand
by TheBlueAmethyst
Summary: Ever wonder what the heck Seven was working on during the entirety of his route? Me neither, but here you go anyways. One-shot! (Mild 707 x MC)


**AUTHOR'S NOTE [9/24/17]:** Came back to revise dialogue and fix incorrect info. I apologize for the inconvenience.

 **[9/20/17]:** I have limited knowledge on hacking and computers in general, so I'm not sure if I got the details right here. Hopefully I did ^^; (Also, please don't throw me in a pyre yet, I'm working on my other stuff, albeit slow ;;)

 **WARNING:** This story contains a few curse words, a smattering of angst and heavy spoilers for Seven's route. Read at your own discretion.

 **DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Mystic Messenger, credits to Cheritz.

* * *

The dimly-lit room was silent apart from the ceaseless typing in front of a bright monitor over-flooded with binary numbers. Scattered around the vicinity were piles of used clothes, empty cans of Ph.D Pepper and bags of Honey Buddha Chips, placed in such a way that it resembled a playground—one had to skip and do hopscotch to get around—completely covering the white-tiled floor except a few select areas.

The source of the abysmal mess sat in front of the desk and the central monitor, tousled bright red hair glinting like the lens of his patterned glasses. A frown was present on his slightly freckled face as he continued to let his fingers go over the keyboards mindlessly. Luciel Choi, aka Seven, ran a hand through his black hoodie with circular orange patterns before placing a hand over the necklace he wore, brushing his thumb against the silver cross attached to it.

"Alright then, let's take this nice and slow... " he mumbled as he rhythmically tapped his thumb on his mouse, occasionally glancing at the topmost monitor for the target's activities.

Golden eyes intently observed the file on queue for the firewall.

He had a backup stash of files thanks to bots, so he had plenty of chances still to try. However, he really wanted to get this over with, and he'd rather not get setback if they find him out then go change the password or unplug the system.

Closer...

... and closer...

The file got through network's security. He heaved a small sigh of relief, pausing to grab a handful of chips. _Phase 2 starts now._

Seven momentarily grabbed for his sanitizer before he set to work, probing around for one particular folder containing sensitive info on a slowly climbing business which unfortunately had to incur the wrath of his agency's favored clients.

It left a foul taste in his mouth, but he had no choice.

He went through a couple of documents, ignoring some unsavory ones involving forged financial statements and such, until a oddly labeled folder caught his eye. "And X marks the spot."

Seven smirk's fell as soon as it came, eyebrows shooting up to his hairline at the ridiculous amount of blackmail material at hand. "Gee, you'd think they'd hide... these videos," he couldn't help but say. Seriously, who leaves this here? Quickly derailing any further thoughts on the matter, the redhead proceeded to download the files. God, just a bit more and he's—

"Ah shit."

The redheaded hacker read through the newest activity within, and quickly figured that it was from one of the system admins. Shit, they just had to conduct a system update and sweep today, and in just a few minutes! He didn't see any emails indicating they had plans... were they tipped off somehow? He glanced back at the central monitor that showed that it was at 30%.

"Well, what's a job without a few challenges?" Seven grinned devilishly as he pulled up one of his folders. His mouse pointer was on top of a rather special virus he had done on a whim. It was something he prided himself on, after all, who could resist being flooded with pictures of cats and having their entire hard drive wiped and consequently replaced with videos of kittens?

Jumin would probably not mind if he sent his baby his way once he finished with his work. Well, maybe he would... but CATS!

 _55% downloaded._

He shrugged as he finally inserted the virus into the system and chuckled a minute after the people finally noticed something was wrong. NAT, DOS blockers and a subsequent rampant amount of OS updates indicated the chaos that was spreading.

 _75% downloaded._

He noted that some were trying to track him down, but any hacker worth their salt would have a hella ton of proxy servers and IP safe guards to fall back on. That didn't stop him from being fidgety in his seat, like he always would whenever each second could bring an unexpected factor into play. "Come on, come on, come on..."

Once it was displayed that he finally extracted one hundred percent of all the necessary information that was required, Seven relaxed. He stretched, letting his shoulder joints pop satisfactorily. He craned his neck to the side and heard another pop. He slouched in his seat, eyes switching between the other monitors in front of him.

The left monitor was displaying his desktop, the LOLOL music playing from the unopened tab while another tab was linked to the internet. He absentmindedly opened LOLOL and stared at his prone mage character standing in a inn of the game's main city. A few NPCs and other players were walking around as he guided his character down towards outside, where he was suddenly bombarded with PMs and chats about people asking if he really was the _Hacker God,_ the number one player on the Shooting Star server. He ignored them for now.

To his right, different camera feeds of a familiar apartment were on, broadcasting a few rooms. As much as he did say he wouldn't be using these, the situation had to provide him some leeway and V himself affirmed that it would be for the best. Besides, it's not as if he was going to use the camera he installed in the bedroom and the bathroom unless absolutely necessary. That'd be too crude even for his standards.

Not like a cockroach like him had any.

But in any case!

With the information secured, he could finally focus on hunting down the hacker again. Or maybe...

A cheeky smile appeared on his face as he made a grab for his phone. He was contemplating on dialing their new member but a voice abruptly cut him off and sent a shudder down his spine.

"Agent. Seven." The voice hissed beside him.

He was quick to plaster on a happy face. "Oh my! Miss Mary Vanderwood~! To what pleasure do I owe a visit from you, eh?" He turned his chair to face his fellow agent, never letting his mask slip.

The man with shoulder length brown hair crossed his arms with a huff, a disapproving look on his face. "I don't know how you manage to live in this pig sty. What the hell is with all this garbage on the floor!?" The man's coat fluttered when he raised his arms in frustration.

He sent him a glare that would sent any other man cowering in fear. Unfortunately, he was accustomed to it at this point. "And have you even finished your work? Don't tell me you've been playing games or being a stalker all day."

Seven feigned a hurt look, holding his chest as he dramatically leaned back. "You think so low of me! I'm shocked!"

Vanderwood narrowed his eyes dangerously and the redhead simply grinned back. "I had to jump around your piles of trash. Heck I think I even saw your boxers lying around. So before I get tempted to taser you, tell me if you've even finished a fraction of your damn work and maybe I'll be nice and fix this place you call a 'home' up."

"Don't you always do that even when I don't—"

The brown-haired man immediately held up a taser, electricity crackling ominously. "Ahaha, d-don't be like that!" he hastily said, holding his hands up in defeat. That taser wasn't something he'd like to feel, the last time came as quite the shock. Oh, wait, a pun.

"Hey, stop snickering and answer me," he said, edging closer to him.

Seven internally sighed and twisted around to grab the USB that he just ejected. He tossed the device to the man who caught it easily. "Every last bit of data is in there," he drawled before deciding to munch of some of his precious Honey Buddha Chips. Ah~

"You could have just said so earlier." Vanderwood just rolled his eyes at him and pocketed the USB and taser—thank God—before glancing at the monitors behind the redhead. "You're seriously _still_ watching over that MC girl though?"

Seven shrugged as he played with a potato chip, twirling it in between his fingers expertly. "She's part of the RFA now and I still have to guard from that Unknown person she mentioned."

Through the corner of his eyes, he chanced upon the very woman they were talking about, walking down the hallway as she scratched at her bedhead. Her face barely concealed the irritation everytime her fingers got caught between her long brown hair. She carried her phone with her as she staggered to the kitchen area, stretching a bit.

He swore she wore a fond smile when she glanced at the camera in the hallway. Even when he told her he wasn't looking, she persisted. Which honestly made him smile a bit especially whenever she engaged with his playful banter.

"—nt Seven!"

The redhead blinked. "Huh?" he replied ever so eloquently. His heart was doing some odd jumping exercises in his chest and he struggled to wave away the abrupt haze in his mind.

Vanderwood stared at him with an unreadable expression. "You..." he trailed off, placing one of his hands in his pocket. "You do know we're not allowed to get close to anyone, right?"

Seven pursed his lips, a thought so ridiculous borne from that remark came into mind that he did a double-take. " _What?_ Of course I know that!" His voice went a pitch higher, clearly offended.

The fellow agent quirked an eyebrow at him. "... Then good. It'd be the best for both of you if you didn't forget that."

"Please, Miss Vanderwood, you do know that my one true love is the world of binary numbers. Why would you even assume such a thing?" he cheekily said back, fighting the burning sensation on his cheeks.

He huffed. "Just helping you survive."

The redheaded hacker rolled his eyes. "I'm not ignorant. I'm simply looking out for her since she has an unidentified stalker still out there."

" _And_ that's all that there will be to it."

"Yes, Mom."

Vanderwood sighed. "Anyways, I came here because your main mission's parameters have been updated. I had to hold it off yesterday because you were procrastinating but now's a good time as any. As you know, it's a top priority one so you better not slack off. Details are in here."

From under his coat, the man pulled out a thick blue folder and handed it over to the intrigued Seven. Quickly skimming through the contents, it almost came to the point that his eyes could have bulged out from the sheer astonishment at what insanity he had just gotten himself in, or at least from what he could tell. Why..?

"Boss said that since you _are_ one of the quickest and smartest agents we have, the clients have higher expectations and an even higher fee once completed," the brown-haired man spoke up, reading his thoughts. "It would get us into their good graces, so here we are."

He took another handful of chips and stuffed his mouth with them, pondering over the new time limit. The assignment was given to him three months ago, and he had received half of the generous payment already which he used to buy one of his new babies. He had nonchalantly accepted it, seeing it as easy money but now... "Lemme get this straight, the big man wants me to infiltrate a high security level server for information on political standings and funded government projects, alongside the previous _military_ plans, before the end of this week?" he said incredulously after swallowing. "I know I'm amazing and all but damn."

The coat wearing man nodded. "It's not an easy task and that's why the Boss has me here to aid you," he quipped, ignoring Seven's last sentence.

"You mean ensure that I don't screw up~?"

"And that."

"Meanie."

"Stop being such a kid." Vanderwood massaged his temples with his gloved hand and turned so that his back was facing the redhead. "Anyways, you better get to it soon so nothing happens. The boss wouldn't want a repeat of the 38th Parallel Fiasco."

The glasses wearing agent's expression turned sour at the reminder of his... inelegant expedition at the DMZ and he pouted. "I stand by my word that you really are a big meanie."

Vanderwood threw him a pointed look. "Luciel, this is serious. Our clients this time... they're powerful that even the people from the upper division fear them. If you screw this up, we're dead."

Seven crossed his arms, one hand tapping against his necklace. "Serious, huh?"

The coat-wearing man scratched the back of his head in frustration. "Yes. You must have figured it out—"

"That you're clean-up? Yeah, I know. Don't worry, I'll get my head on straight. You don't have to go on with a speech about _'if you fuck things up, you can't work for RFA anymore',_ " he said in a low, mocking tone. "No need to play the emotional attachment card."

He was given a blank look in response, though if he looked closer he could see the agitation and... pity in his eyes. "Status?" he asked blankly.

The redhead turned away, dismayed yet grateful at the change in topic. "I've already completed half of the codes I need to bypass the security, so with a few minor adjustments I could get in soon..." his face scrunched up in distaste at the extra work. He still had to trace the hacker that attacked the RFA, so he should finish this up quickly.

"I'll be back tomorrow with my gear. And... I expect the place to be a bit more cleaner next time."

"No promises."

"I really don't know if I prefer this you or the perfectionist you. Both are too insufferable," he said dryly. With that, the man left.

Taking a deep breath, he sagged in his seat, staring at the ceiling. Insufferable... huh? This life... he had many regrets, yes, but it is what it is. He had to suck it up, pretend he was fine and continue to work to the best of his abilities. It's the least he could do for the brother he left behind and the RFA members he developed, he daresay, affection for.

If the agency found out he was compromised, he'd lose the last thread of sanity he had. He would not become one of them, not fully. He was truly thankful for Vanderwood allowing him to skip out on that part of his training and hiding his membership.

If he broke the way they'd broken the others, everything he worked for would fall apart like a stack of cards.

He did not want to resolve to disappear from other people's lives yet. He still wanted... to feel important. Needed. Accepted.

 _Ah, God, I'm going to go off in a tangent again if I keep this up. Do I really wanna be an angsty emo boy today?_

Shaking the thoughts away, he checked that MC had started cooking from the hidden camera near the counter. She was bobbing her head to an unheard rhythm as she chopped some vegetables, even appearing to play with the potato in her hand before peeling its skin. The newest member twirled and moved around with practiced ease, still singing. She looked to be having fun while she began washing some rice.

He started to get curious how her singing voice sounds like now. Probably calming.

He placed the folder on his desk and fiddled with his phone's strap. Should he...? Maybe? The hacker observed the scene before him with much longing, a huge part of him wanting to put off his work and inner dilemma for a moment of respite.

God, she was smiling so brightly. How was she able to do that even after what happened to her?

She sat down with a smile so infectious, he couldn't help but smile as well. The brunette grabbed her phone and a steady stream of notifications had made it known she was online.

His mind was consumed with the lingering questions he had about her. While he had dug through her accounts to find out who she was, MC was still a mystery. He only scratched the surface in an effort to preserve her privacy, so the minute glimpse he had on her information and real name was something he'd put under lock and key. It was best for both sides.

He fought a sudden snicker as he saw her giggling with the most adorable of expressions, covering her mouth which did nothing as she just switched to holding her chest and catching her breath.

He wanted to stare into her eyes and figure out what lied beneath her mirth. How can she stay so composed? Why is she so bright? How did she manage to seem like she could read everybody's thoughts and get along with the rest so well? How can she keep up with his jokes? Why is she so cute?

And how come she never liked revealing her real emotions?

After calming her down during the first day... while she kept a stoic persona for the most part and a happy-go-lucky facade the next, she never showed another moment of weakness. Or at least she tried. He could see how she'd switch over to a tired and restless expression when he accidentally tabbed over to the bedroom camera, glaring at her phone as if hoping it could catch fire.

Why didn't she try to contact her family like she did the first day? What was she thinking? Was she afraid? Reluctant? Or was there something else?

She had some secrets close to her heart, that he could not deny, but dear Lord, she really was a strange person. It almost... reminded him of himself.

She was undoubtedly a good person though, unlike him. Talking to her always made him more relaxed, as if he was basking in the warmth of the sun, a comforting presence that welcomed everybody with open arms.

He on the other hand...

He was a shadow, and that's all he could ever be.

* * *

 ***** DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) is a border barrier that divides the Korean Peninsula roughly in half. It has a huge military presence on both sides and can be considered the most tensest place on Earth. It roughly follows the 38th parallel.

 **ADDITIONAL A/N:** This was originally going to be part of Their Saving Grace, but due to changes and inconsistencies if I bring this in, I decided against it. I couldn't exactly just delete it as well because I loved writing it, so a standalone it became. (Also, Vanderwood. Nuff said)


End file.
